


Broken Wings (Flown North AU)

by FandomObsessedGirl



Category: RWBY
Genre: AU, F/M, Flown North, Hummingbird - Freeform, If Qrow died instead, Lots of Angst, STRQ - Freeform, and I mean if you read that you know there'll be angst., i suggest you read Scattered Petals first, qrose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-28 20:45:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10839129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomObsessedGirl/pseuds/FandomObsessedGirl
Summary: What if Qrow died instead of Summer?  How would things be different?Following an AU twist on the end of Scattered Petals.  A short angst ridden story.Requested by @YanderePyrrha





	1. What if.

Chapter 1

It was over. Oz was on his way to pick them up, and though they had failed to keep the informant safe, they were alive. Their Auras were low though and Qrow doubted they'd be able to hold off another wave of attacks.... and then there was that cold feeling.

That twinge in the back of his mind that something bad was still going to happen.

'Heh..."

Both of them turned to the noise. Summer frowned easing herself from his hold.

'Hel...'

"A survivor?" Summer suggested quietly.

The voice sounded human enough, admittedly ... off. Rasping, guttural... but that could have been from the pain.

'Help me...'

Summer moved ahead of them glancing and flinching at the bodies of those they might've saved had they arrived sooner looking for the speaker. Qrow saw no-one moving.

'Please help me...'

The closer they got the quieter and softer and younger the voice seemed to get, morphing into the dialect of a frightened child. Qrow could see Summer's posture softening and the sword lowering at her side as they moved round the side of the houses.

They could make out a dark shape curled into a fetal position surrounded by rubble. Qrow felt a twinge of something and turned looking for anything that could be the cause of his discomfort. It was his Semblance that was causing him worries and fears, he knew that much. His broadsword was raised as he moved closer to Summer scanning the wreckage for Grimm.

Summer smiled as she moved in closer to the child. She had sheathed her sword at her hip hearing soft snivelling from the shape.

"It's okay," she assured, "it's going to be alright-"

Her hand reached out and touched the child's shoulder. The child raised its head.

Summer saw two red eyes and then was suddenly knocked backwards. A sharp talon slashed across her palm and her Aura fell in glorious form. Her shout of surprise warned Qrow and he spun around to see what the matter was.

Summer reached for her sword, leaving herself wide open. Qrow deflected the first strike but the talon evaporated as the monstrous child morphed into something akin to black smoke. It solidified knocking him backwards with his Aura taking the deep slash that had been aimed for his chest.

Summer slashed at the Grimm but it passed straight through her.  Then suddenly an arm shot out and shoved her to the side.  She fell backwards onto the cobblestones hard and looked up.

Qrow had pushed her out of the way.   He slashed at the creature only for it to glide through his arm and puncture his chest with its claws.  Her Silver Eyes widened in horror as the ethereal figure with the sharp talons dragged its bladed claws free from his chest.

Qrow glanced down at his chest.  Time seemed to slow, he turned and saw the look of horror on Summer's face as she looked up at him. He saw the blood spill from his chest.

His knees suddenly hit something hard... the cobblestones ... and then his body became too heavy. He leaned to the side and hit the floor with a hard thud.

Then the pain hit him.

Summer stared for one long moment, frozen with horror and fear.

 _No_ , she thought, tears springing to her eyes, _**no!**_

She was screaming.  Her throats was raw with it, her head was bursting with it.  Pounding as the hurt and rage filled her, unbridled, heartbreaking rage.  It didn't matter that her whole body was exhausted and drained of all energy from her last display.  Her eyes began to glow again.

The creature growled shrinking away in fear as her eyes blazed, tears rolling down her cheeks as the rage and grief rose within her.

And then it exploded.

Outwards like a great wave of energy, the creature shrieking as it blistered and broke into pieces vanishing into nothing.  

The light faded and she collapsed to the ground, head pounding as though a drill was being bored through her skull.

"Qrow," she whispered crawling over to where he lay, back facing her, "Qrow!"

She rolled him over gasping in horror at the blood that was running from his chest wound.  His eyes was beginning to close already.

"No, Qrow, stay with me!" she pleaded pressing her hands to his chest to try and stop the impossible.

"Mmr..." he croaked.

His red eyes, their colour dulled looked at her, squinted.  His hand stretched out slowly and she clasped it tightly interlocking her fingers with his.  

"I'm right here..." she whispered, feeling the tears slide down her face.  "I'm so sorry.."

"Don't be," he whispered, "I would always have done this for you.... R-Ruby needs you."

"Qrow..." her voice was faint choking as she applied pressure, "j-just stay with me, please!"

She knew it would be no use. The blood was running through her pale fingers.  Unless the airship arrived now, she knew what would happen.

"J-just stay right with me okay?" she repeated, swallowing down the bile in her throat. "Oz's coming, we can get you help, j-just stay-"

His hand reached up, calloused fingers brushing her cheeks. They had always bee warm, comforting to her but now they were clammy, cold.. slick with crimson.  

 _Please_ , she begged to anyone out there who would listen, let him live.  Please! 'll do anything, please don't let him die!

She sobbed at the absurd, cruel notion that was so close to coming true.  He was the strongest man she knew, he couldn't die.  

"Summer..." he coughed and she choked seeing the sliver of crimson run from the corner of his mouth down his chin. "I love you..."

His grip on her tightened as he grimaced in pain and she burrowed her face against his chest crying hoping this was all some sick nightmare and she'd wake up.  Wake up in his arms in bed.

"No- no- don't speak j-just stay awake... Qrow?"

But his eyes were already closing.

"Qrow?!"

He looked at her smiling softly as his thumb tried to brush away the tears that fell like waterfalls.  A stab of new pain struck her chest as she ignored the dizzying, nauseous throbbing in her head.

"Qr-Qrow..." she cried, "I love you... please... _please_ don't leave me!  We need you- Ruby needs you... _I_ need you-"

"Sum-" he choked on the words. "I lov- I love you so much." His hand brushed through her hair hoping to give her something to hold onto.

Her other hand reached to cup his hand to her cheek. She saw him press his face against her hand, feeling clammy skin and fought stubble.  She swallowed feeling as though she was shattering from the inside out.   A dark little voice inside her hissed that she was working against an irreversible timer.  

Qrow was her first.  The only person she had ever really loved, true, real love.  She couldn't lose him.  She had fallen fast when she realised she was falling for him.  Hard and fast with everything there was about him.  His throat laugh, signature smirk and cocky attitude that was an opposite yet match to her own quieter temperament,

"You're safe..." Qrow whispered, his voice was already faint and he coughed more blood running from his mouth.  "Ruby..."

"Needs you!  She needs her father!   _Don't do this to me Qrow!_ " She shook his shoulders sobbing.  "You _can't!_ " 

"I'm sorry..."

Then with a soft exhale, almost like a surprise at how easy it was, his whole body suddenly lost the rigidness and sagged against her.  Her brows peaked.

"Qrow...?" Her voice sounded foreign and rasping.

That bright light and glow in his eyes was fading.  The colour dulling from bright crimson to dull a dull dusty rose.

" _Qrow!_ "

Her vision was becoming blurry as her pounding headache beat on the brain.  She went to wipe her nose and it came away crimson.  She had exerted herself too much.  She kissed Qrow's pale, drawn lips desperately hoping to feel warmth, his breath... something...

Nothing but skin like ice.  Her eyes flickered looked desperately hoping to spy the airship or something... it wasn't too late.

But her vision was getting darker and the world was tilting.  The cobbles came up to meet her head with a dull crack.

 


	2. Owner of a Broken Heart

Chapter 2

There was a beeping by her ear, and a thundering in her head when she stirred back to consciousness.  Summer groaned and tried to open her eyes wincing at the bright glare.  Her whole body ached, her head felt as though so,done were trying to split it with a chisel.

"Summer?"

It was Ozpin.

"Summer, can you hear me?"

What happened?  She couldn't remember anything.  Remembering hurt.  When her eyes finally opened, she looked up into the face of Ozpin. The Headmaster looked relieved but also haggard. Dark circles ran beneath his eyes, there were lines on his face as well.  He obviously hadn't been sleeping.

She glanced around the small hospital room. Other than Ozpin, she was very much alone. 

"How are you feeling?" Ozpin asked and she winced at the sound, pressing a hand to her head.

"Ow," she mumbled, "can you speak quieter? My head feels as though someone's staying to chisel their way out of it."

Her voice was hoarse from disuse her mouth felt like sandpaper.  She again looked to see perhaps a glimpse of Qrow... she felt worried... she knew something had happened.

"Qrow?" she asked, looking at Ozpin.

"I can only guess how you're feeling," Ozpin said ignoring the simple query, perhaps he hadn't heard her, "you must have done something pretty big, when we found you, you were suffering from after effects of using your Silver Eyes.  We thought you were dying."

She tried to sit up and groaned pressing a hand to her head.  She forced her brain to work through the pain, eyes narrowed as she tried to remember what happened.  Though Summer couldn't remember in detail, she knew that something bad had happened to him.  

"Where's Qrow? Is he alright?"

Everything was hazy, confused... and Ozpin wasn't answering her question.  He was looking down at the floor finding the sterile linoleum extremely fascinating.

 

"Oz..." she whispered, the pain in her head fading to the back of her focus as she sat up, "Oz, please... where..."

A sudden series of flashes hit her.  Qrow looking down at her... blood... so much blood...

"Oz..." her voice was rising in pitch, eyes pained and pleading, "where's Qrow?"

Her former Headmaster continued to be unable to meet her eye.  Panic rose within in her and she reached over to grip his arm.

"Is he okay?"

Ozpin looked at her with sad, green eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Summer."

She shook her head forcing a laugh of disbelief.  This was all some sick joke.

"Tell me the truth Oz..." she pleaded, "where is he?"

Ozpin swallowed and looked at Summer.

"I need to know what happened in Corriophaeria-"

"What does that matter?!" she snapped, as her chest tightened with anxiety, "where's Qrow?"

"Summer... we..." He swallowed again and removed the glasses from his face. His thumb and finger rubbed beneath his eyes as he spoke again in a quiet, defeated tone. "When we got to Corriophaeria... we found you both, you were having some form of seizure, an after effect of the SEW-"

"Ozpin, where.  is.  Qrow?"

"We took you both back here," Ozpin continued, "tried to get your condition under control... Summer, I am so sorry.  The doctors did everything they could but..." she shook her head in denial, "all efforts to restart his heart failed.  He'd lost too much blood."

Summer shook her head in denial, her eyes wide.

"I'm so sorry, Summer... He's gone."

"No," she denied, a humourless, breathless laugh escaping her as she refused to believe it, "no, no, no-"

"Summer, I'm sorry-"

"You're lying," she whispered, her voice cracking, "no, tell me he's not d-" the word stuck in her throat.  "He's not!  He's not!"

Ozin eased his arm free of her grip as tears started running down her face.

"I'm so sorry, I truly am."

Her gaze seemed wide eyed and staring at nothing in particular.  Her hand slid from his arm and dropped into her lap.

"Summer?"

No answer.  

"Please, would you give me a moment?" Summer asked, her voice barely audible, faint and hoarse.

Ozpin paused but stood up slowly.  She didn't look at him as he went to the door.  He opened his mouth to say something, but she seemed to sense this.

"Please, would you give me a moment?"

Ozpin sighed and left closing the door behind him.  

For a longer moment, Summer stared down at a spot on the floor watching her vision blur as tears sprung forth in her eyes.  She was trying to remember what had happened.  Only snippets came to the forefront of her mind.  Almost being stabbed by a creature of smoke... Qrow pushing her out of the way... Qrow being stabbed... 

A sob escaped her lips.  He had died trying to keep her safe because she had been unable to defend herself properly from an easy strike.  And Ruby?  She felt sick, clasping a hand over her mouth, wrapping her other arm around her torso and drawing her knees up to her forehead.  Ruby who would grow up without her father...

She sobbed freely.  The pain in her head was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.


	3. Mourning Song

Chapter 3

It felt wrong to bury him without the signature cross pendant he had always worn but it was one of the few things Summer had left. She stood in front of the grave, everyone else long gone, her daughter sniffling quietly, sat on her hip. Her other hand was open in front of her as she stared at the talisman he had always worn ever since she had known him.

Ever since their first meeting in the Emerald Forest.

Her fingers curled around it tightly ignoring the way the cold metal cut into her soft flesh. Her attention turned back to the grey stone altar before her. His symbol chiselled into the hard grey rock, his name and a short line;

"Thus Kindly I Soar"

There was a sharp rustle of feathers and then footsteps approaching. Summer didn't turn around but instead sighed.

"Hello, Raven."

"Summer."

Summer glanced at the taller woman out of the corner of her eye. She saw clenched fists and white knuckles. Summer slipped the pendant into her pocket trying not to draw attention to it before she looked up at the woman's face.

Hard pressed lips, glowing red eyes that were a painful reminder of Qrow.

"He should have come home," Raven said after a lengthy pause, "we should have buried him there."

Summer didn't answer and looked at Ruby who was eyeing her aunt with teary silver eyes. Raven seemed to register the presence of the infant girl and looked at Ruby with a sense of surprise but also detatchment.

"What's her name?"

"Ruby."

Raven nodded approvingly. Colour names were always meant to bring fortune and protect the child. Though she wasn't crying, Summer could see the internal struggle within her.

"You can let it out, I'd be the last person to judge."

Raven scowled rubbing her eye.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

There was silence save for the rustling of leaves as the wind blew through them. Summer shifted her cloak so Ruby was wrapped in it and warm.

"Where have you been?" Summer asked quietly, "Tai misses you, you know."

"So I've been told," Raven muttered, "I went home. My family needed me more than Tai and Yang did."

"Oh."

Though Summer didn't really agree with what Raven had done she knew it wasn't wise to provoke the Branwen girl. Even when they had been teenagers she had been a dangerous, threatening individual. Now with their shared love, though in very different ways - Qrow- was dead, there was no telling what she would do.

 _Though_ , Summer thought, narrowing her eyes, _the more pressing question is what am **I** going to do?_

Qrow was dead and she knew who had killed him. The SEW in her wanted revenge, but she was a single mother now and there was Tai and Yang to consider in all of this.

"You'll want revenge I imagine," Raven said after an extended pause.

Summer narrowed her eyes and nodded.

"Of course I do. I know who did this and I want them to pay for everything they've done," she spat and then sighed closing her eyes, "but I can't just up and leave. I've got Ruby to take care of. Tai and Yang need help too."

Raven rolled her shoulders uncomfortably but said nothing in response.

"You want revenge too, don't you?" Summer asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"Of course I do," Raven snapped, her eyes glowing a fearful bloody colour, "when I find who did this to my brother I'm going to kill them. _Slowly_. They need to suffer."

Summer paused.

"Why are you here, Raven?"

"What do you mean? He's my brother!"

"That's not what I meant. Why are you here talking to _me_? If you wanted to see people you could have come to the service, if you wanted to be alone you could have waited until I left. So, _why_ are you here talking to me?"

Raven visibly clenched her jaw as she chose her words carefully.

"You made him weak," she replied, her voice cutting but not angry, "you know that? He was my strong brother and then you came along and made him weak."

"You're saying it's my fault?" Summer asked, raising an eyebrow, her own anger boiling, she heard a squeaky yawn and noticed Ruby was beginning to fall asleep against her.

"No," Raven denied, "I'm not.  I'm saying that you made him love you-"

"I didn't 'make' him do anything," Summer growled.

"Which took him away from his family.  His _real_ family-"

"Did I?" Summer laughed without humour, her anger boiling, "so if we're not his real family, what are we?  He may never have married me Raven but he treated me like his wife.  And Ruby?  His own blood?  Your blood.  Is she not his family?  His _daughter_?" She shook her head slowly in disgust.  Angry tears were already running down her face.  "Not that you'd understand that or anything since you left Yang." Raven glared at her.  "So, if you want _apologies_ from _me,_ Raven Branwen, for some made up slight you have in your mind, you can think again!"

"I don't want an apology!" Raven snapped, "I want revenge.  Plain and simple.  But I can't do it alone."

"Don't you have your 'real' family?" Summer shot back.  "I'm sure you can ask them.  I think you've said enough, _goodbye_ Raven."

"My family regard Qrow as a traitor," Raven said, quieter than Summer was expecting, "they _despise_ him.  I risked my reputation coming here to pay my respects, do you _really_ think they'd help me get revenge for the death of one who betrayed them?"  Raven shook her head and this time the tears really were falling from her eyes.  "No.  No, they would not.  You seemed my best bet at finding someone to help me get revenge."  She peered round to look at Ruby.  "I didn't know you had a daughter together."

"Well we did."

Summer brushed away her own tears, her face feeling hot with anger.  Raven herself was scowling and looking as though she were trying to force the tears back into her eyes with her fingers.  Both women paused to look down at the grave again.

"How did it happen?" Raven asked quietly, mournfully, "I know that Salem was involved.  Did he die honourably?"

Summer glared.  Was that what she really cared about?

"He died protecting me," she replied not disgusting her distaste at the question, "is that honourable enough for you?"

Raven nodded her head.  Summer adjusted her position holding her sleeping daughter, kissing the crown of her head.

"I need to get this one home, goodnight Raven," she said.

She crouched down and stroked the cold tombstone feeling the grief rise up within her once again.  She had cried a lot during the service, Tai, equally red eyed, had had to give a reassuring side arm hug to her through most of it.  She thought she had spent all of her tears but clearly not.

 _Farewell, Stilts_ , she thought and closed her eyes imagining his throaty chuckle as he wrapped his warm arms around her and held her close.  The way his soft lips felt against her's and the look of astonishment and reverence when he discovered her pregnancy and held their daughter for the first time.   _I'll find a way to make them pay for what they've done.  But I need to take care of Ruby now._ She sniffed and wiped away the tears with the palm of her hand.   _I love you... I always have... I always will._

She straightened up still sniffing and moved away to head home, placing another kiss to the forehead of Ruby.

"If you ever change your mind," Raven's voice called her back, "call me.  My scroll number hasn't changed, you know." 

Summer gave a wary nod before continuing on the road back to Tai's home.


	4. Warnings

Chapter 4

Sleeping had become almost an impossibility after Qrow had died. Sleeping in a bed alone was strange, unnatural, and when she did sleep it was plagued with nightmares. Ruby was suffering too. More than once, Summer had brought her into her own bed so the two could remain curled against one another for comfort. Her two year old daughter missed her father terribly.

It was Ruby who wore the cross pendant now, some part of Summer knew that Qrow would want her to have it. The girl was curled in on herself clutching the pendant as she slept- it brought her comfort. Summer was humming a lullaby to soothe her sleep- she had done the same for Qrow when he had been plagued by the horrors from his past. There was no-one now to soothe her nightmares.

Things can only get better, she thought knowing this was being stupidly optimistic.

She got choked up just thinking about Qrow. Gods she missed him, everything there was about him. It was all gone.

His laugh, his smirk, the way his eyes glowed like red lightbulbs in the dark... Gone.

Her brow furrowed and lips curled in anger. There was a reason for why she was suffering, why her daughter was having sleepless night. Salem had stolen him from her, killed him. Her eyes flickered to her scroll as she considered Raven's offer.

But no, she couldn't.

Not now anyway.  When Ruby was older, she would take missions again, missions to take down Salem.

 _Don't worry, Qrow_ , she thought, _I'll make them pay_.

~~~

~ _Five Years Later_ ~

Summer knelt to look her daughter in the eye.  

She had grown up so much like her father it was astonishing.  Though her hair had turned silken, there was a slight again quality and its shade was darker than her mother's.  Tai had become a father figure in much the same  way Summer had become a mother figure to Yang.  But there was no romantic love between them.

Summer had already said farewell to Yang and Tai.  They stood a little way back, watching the exchange between mother and daughter.

"I'll come back soon, Petal," she whispered, stroking her hair, "just promise me you'll behave in school."

"I promise," Ruby said and hugged her mother tightly.

Summer stroked her hair and kissed her cheek.

"I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, mummy."

Summer ended the embrace and paused to look at her daughter properly.  It would be a while before she came home- possibly multiple months.  Then she stood and placed one final kiss on her daughter's forehead.  She loved her more than anything, but this was something she had to do.

"Goodbye, Petal."

"Goodbye, Mummy," she sniffed.

Summer swallowed, feeling a lump in her throats as her daughter started to cry.  

"Hey, shush, don't cry," she whispered and raised the cross pendant her daughter still wore, "as long as you wear this, nothing bad will happen, I promise."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

They shared another tight hug.  The pain of parting was strong between them even when Summer had made her way down the path.  As she walked down the long road away from the house and towards the docks, a lone black bird swooped overhead.  A sad sort of smile tugged at her lips.

"Hello, Raven."

The bird swooped on ahead leading the way.  Summer narrowed her eyes, pulling her hood up over her head.

 _You better watch out, Salem_ , she thought, one hand curling around the hilt of her sword, _We're coming for you.  And **nothing** is going to stand in **my** way._

 


End file.
